University of Iowa. Rhetoric Department. Iowa Digital Engagement and Learning Initiative (IDEAL)
Abstract
UI Scientists in the Classroom was created to better connect with our community by bringing scientists and students from the University of Iowa into the classrooms of area elementary and middle schools. Professor Emily Finzel provided a model by which these interactions would take place, and this spring our group put this idea into practice with the teachers at Lucas Elementary in Iowa City. During a two visit series, our group went into two different classrooms to interact with the students. The first meeting involved the introduction of the visiting student researchers and their research projects followed by a discussion about the current topic that was being covered in the school\u27s curriculum. The next day, we returned to do an interactive activity with the students in order to better cement the concepts we had covered the previous day while allowing engagement that hopefully made the children better appreciate the aspects of science which are difficult to encompass in traditional curriculums. This collaboration hopes to offer a model for future programs to follow in regards to how to implement simple university engagement and outreach seamlessly into a school\u27s ongoing teaching system
